The Historic Preservation Briefs

Published by the federal government, these Historic Preservation Briefs are a valuable resource for owners and restorer's of antique homes and historic buildings. As an integral part of the Renovators.com Knowledge Base these briefs serve the professional and do-it-yourselfer alike.

These publications have been prepared pursuant to the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, which directs the Secretary of the Interior to develop and make available information concerning historic properties. Technical Preservation Services (TPS), Heritage Preservation Services Division, National Park Service prepares standards, guidelines, and other educational materials on responsible historic preservation treatments for a broad public.

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Knowledge Base Preservation Briefs

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Aluminum and Vinyl Siding on Historic Buildings

A historic building is a product of the cultural heritage of its region, the technology of its period, the skill of its builders, and the materials used for its construction. To assist owners, developers and managers of historic property in planning and completing rehabilitation project work...

Applied Decoration for Historic Interiors

Anyone who has ever walked through historic houses and large public buildings, visited an art gallery, picked up a picture frame in an antique shop, or even ridden on an old carousel has been close to composition ornament, but has probably not known what it was or how it was made.

Appropriate Methods for Reducing Lead Paint Hazards

Lead-based paint, a toxic material, was widely used in North America on both the exteriors and interiors of buildings until well into the second
half of the twentieth century. If a "historic" place is broadly defined in terms of time as having attained...

Architectural Character

There are different ways of understanding old buildings. They can be seen as examples of specific building types, which are usually related to a building's function, such as schools, courthouses or churches.

Assessing Cleaning and Water-Repellent Treatments

Inappropriate cleaning and coating treatments are a major cause of damage to historic masonry buildings. While either or both treatments may be appropriate in some cases, they can be very destructive to historic masonry if they are not selected carefully.

Conserving Energy

With the dwindling supply of energy resources and new efficiency demands placed on the existing building stock, many owners of historic buildings and their architects are assessing the ability of these buildings to conserve energy with an eye to improving thermal performance.

Controlling Unwanted Moisture

Uncontrolled moisture is the most prevalent cause of deterioration in older and historic buildings. It leads to erosion, corrosion, rot, and ultimately the destruction of materials, finishes, and eventually structural components.

Dangers of Abrasive Cleaning

Abrasive cleaning methods are responsible for causing a great deal of damage to historic building materials. To prevent indiscriminate use of these potentially harmful techniques, this brief has been prepared to explain abrasive cleaning methods, how they can be...

Exterior Paint Problems

Removing paints down to bare wood surfaces using harsh methods can permanently damage those surfaces; therefore such methods are not recommended. Also, total removal obliterates evidence of the historical paints and their sequence and architectural context.

Heating, Ventilating, and Cooling Historic Buildings

Historic buildings are not easily adapted to house modern precision mechanical systems. Careful planning must be provided early on to ensure that decisions made during the design and installation phases of a new system are appropriate.

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